Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority issues operating permit for final disposal of very low-level nuclear waste in Olkiluoto
The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland (STUK) has issued an operating permit for the deep geological final disposal facility to be operated by Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) in Olkiluoto. The facility is designed for the final disposal of very low-level nuclear waste and will be the first of its kind in Finland. The permit was issued by virtue of the Nuclear Energy Act and is valid until the end of 2095. The operation of the facility will start in 2028 at the earliest.
The nuclear waste to be placed in the facility consists of very low-level nuclear waste from the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant and the final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel. The very low-level nuclear waste has until now been deposited in the Olkiluoto operating waste repository for final disposal. However, the radiation properties of this waste do not render it harmful to people or the environment. STUK’s decision is based on a safety assessment which shows that the design and the basic concepts applied to the facility fulfil the specified safety requirements.
The very low-level waste is in deep geological final disposal sorted and packed by waste type and covered with a layer of soil. Although the Olkiluoto facility is the first deep geological final disposal facility in Finland, the method has been in use elsewhere in the world for quite some time. Facilities of this type are in operation in Sweden, for example.
A wide range of benefits
The facility will be located in the Olkiluoto power plant area close to the existing repository for low- and intermediate-level waste. The planned total volume of the new deep geological final disposal facility is about 45,200 cubic metres with nuclear waste accounting for at most 10,000 cubic metres. The area required for the deep geological facility is approximately 7,600 square metres. The establishment of the deep geological facility reduces the need to expand the operating waste repository, which cuts the need for considerably more expensive rock construction. Also, deep geological final disposal further improves waste sorting practices in Olkiluoto.
The Regional State Administrative Agency’s environmental permit was obtained for the deep geological final disposal facility already in 2023. The construction and the operation of the facility will not start until TVO makes the construction decision and STUK verifies compliance with requirements through specific inspections. Prior to starting the operation of the new facility, TVO will update its procedures and management system and provide training to the personnel. The environmental radiation monitoring programme will also be complemented and inspections related to the substructures will be carried out under STUK’s oversight. The first deposition campaign will be preceded by a commissioning inspection to ascertain the safety and operational readiness of the facility. The operation of the new facility will not start until 2028 at the earliest.
-The operating permit is a significant step for responsible waste management in Olkiluoto. The solution is based on high safety requirements to ensure that the final disposal of very low-level waste is implemented in a controlled manner and protecting the environment, concludes Senior Project Manager Jari Eskola.
For more information, please contact
Johanna Aho, Head of Communications, tel. +358 40 7290822.